Balmoral Park

DIVISION LEADERS GET BACK ON TRACK IN SUNDAY STAKES

Brian Carpenter and Southern Rocketop returned to their winning ways in Sunday's $12,000 Brandenburg Stake at Balmoral Park.

The cream of the crop among Illinois conceived and foaled three-year-old pacers and trotters hit the track on Sunday night at Balmoral Park as division leaders Southern Rocketop and Native Hotspur once again established their dominance, posting victories in the $12,000 Brandenburg Stake and $9,000 Ohyouprettything Stake respectively.

After a trip to Canada to face the best sophomore trotters in the country, Powers Farms' Southern Rocketop returned to the local scene to take on 10 state-bred rivals in the $12,000 Brandenburg Stake and once again he stood head and shoulders above his rivals, as he overcame post 10 to win by 3 ¼ lengths in blistering 1:53.4.

Showing his usual blazing speed away from the gate driver, Brian Carpenter sent the son of Psychic Spirit-Summer In The City right to the front where he grabbed command as the field moved by the opening quarter in 28.1.

Carpenter then elected to let a hard-charging Dr. McDreamy (Homer Hochstetler) take command on the backside, and that colt quickly trotted off to a 2 ½ length advantage as the field reached the half-mile mark in 56.0.

Taking full advantage of the cover provided by Dr. McDreamy as the field moved around the far turn, Carpenter then pulled from the pocket as the field neared the three-quarter-mile mark, and Southern Rocketop was just a head behind the leader as the two trotters passed the three-quarter-mile mark in 1:25.0.

In the lane the Robert Taylor trainee blew right by his main rival, sealing the deal with a 28.4 final quarter to post his fifth win in six starts this season. Dr. McDreamy held on for second while Samuel Coe (Brandon Simpson) was a distant third, 11 lengths behind the winner.

Hammered at the betting windows, Southern Rocketop returned just $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10 while running his career record to 14-1-0 in 20 starts with earnings of $230,211.

In the first of two $9,000 Ohyouprettything Stake splits, Kay Willis and Richard Beere’s Native Hotpsur avenged the only blemish on her record this season as she held on gamely to win by a neck in a career best of 1:52.1.

Sent right to the top by driver Sam Widger, the daughter of Ft. Apache Hanover-Broadway Charisma reeled off splits of 27.0, 56.1 and 1:24.3 while keeping her seven rivals at bay.

Finishing up the mile like a division leader should, the Nelson Willis-trained miss paced home in 27.3 while holding off the late bid of the pocket sitting She’s A Pegase (Josh Sutton). Longshot LR Dancing Dream (Todd Warren) rallied late to finish third.

Native Hotspur now boasts seven wins and one third in eight starts this season with earnings of just over $111,000. The second choice in the wagering returned $5.40, $2.60 and $2.80.

In the second division of the Ohyouprettything, the Harry Von Knoblauch owned and trained China Gal took advantage of a ground-saving journey to win by a length in 1:52.3.

Using the inside starting spot to full advantage, driver Todd Warren took the short route around the oval as Park Lane Rhythm led the field through splits of 29.0, 57.1 and 1:25.1.

After securing racing room in the final eighth of a mile, the daughter of Sportsmaster-China Moon N then charged right by the tiring leader to post her third win of the season. Fox Valley Tyra (Robert Smolin) finished second while Park Lane Rhythm held on for third.

With the win China Gal, who returned just $2.80, $2.40 and $2.10, now has a career record of 6-3-3 in 19 starts with earnings of $48,787.